Improvement in show-stands for christmas-trees



J. O. EOKARDT.

.Patented Jan. 8,1878.

' Show- Stands for Christmas Trees, 8w.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

J OHANNES C. ECKARDT, OF STUTTGART, VVURTTEMBERG, GERMANY.

:IMPRO VEMENT IN SHOW-STANDS FOR CHRISTMAS-TREES, 81,0.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,044, dated January 8, 1878; application filed August 7, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHANNES G. ECKARDT, of Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of Wiirttemberg and Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stands for Christmas-Trees or other articles, which improvement is fully set forth inthe following specification, reference being had to'the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan view of the inte rior of a stand containing my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view, partly in section.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to a stand which is especially designed for supporting a Christ mas-tree, but which is also adapted for supporting a rack with fancy goods or various other articles.

The invention consists, essentially, in a new article of manufacture consisting of an arbor, having a socket at one end for receiving the Christmas-tree or other article, a clock mechanism, and a musical instrument, each of which is geared with the said arbor, and being inclosed in a closed casing, through which the arbor carrying the socket projects, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

The clock-movement is geared with the musioalinstrument by means of a sliding arbor carrying a suitable cog-wheel, so that by moving this arbor in the proper direction the musical instrument can be thrown out of gear without interrupting the clock movement. With the sliding arbor last named is combined a detent-lever, which is so constructed that it serves not only to retain said arbor in either of its positions, but may also arrest its motion, and thus stop the clock-movement. In the drawing, the letter A designates an arbor, which is provided with a socket, B, at its outer end, this socket being made detachable, and on which is mounted a cog-wheel, a, gearing, by means of intermediate cog-wheels b c, with a barrel, 0, containing the spring of a clock-movement of ordinary construction.

The socket B may be made in imitation of a pine cone, or ornamented in any other way, and a Christmas-tree or other article can readily be fastened therein, so as to-partake of its motion, a revolving motion being imparted thereto when the clock-movement is wound up.

The cog-wheel b gears with apinion, c, mounted on an arbor, D, on which is mounted also a cog-wheel, 6, adapted to gear with a corresponding wheel, f, secured to a drum, E. Thisdrinn E is provided with pins, as shown, and, together with reeds F, forms a musical instrument of well-known form.

The arbor D is arranged to slide lengthwise in its bearings, and it extends through the top of a case, G, which incloses the parts of the aforesaid clock-movement, and also the musical instrument, and which may be of any form.

When the sliding arbor D is pushed down or inward the cog-wheel e is thrown in gear with the cog-wheel f, and, if the clock-movement is set in motion, the drum E is caused to revolve, and thereby musical sounds are produced on the reeds F, while at the same time the arbor A partakes of a revolving motion, as before stated; and if a Christmas-tree or otherarticle is placed in its socket a very beautiful effect is produced.

The sliding arbor D is provided with a finger-button, g, at its outer end, by which it can readily be moved in or out.

When it is desired to bring the musical instrmnent out of operation, the sliding arbor D is simply pulled out or upward, whereby the cog-wheel e is thrown out of gear with the wheel f, and the drum E is stopped without its being necessary to stop the clock-movement.

Adjacent to the sliding arbor D, on the outside of the case G, is pivoted a detent-lever, H, which is provided with notches he at equal distances from the 'point of its fulcrum, the notch 'i being made of semicircular form, and the notch h of polygonal form. v

When the sliding arbor D is moved to its inner or outer position, as the case may be, the detent-lever H is swung around so as to cause its semicircular 'no tch z to catch in either of the grooves j k, and thus the said arbor is firmly held against a longitudinal movement, without, however, interfering with its rotary motion. If the sliding arbor D is moved out or upward, and the position of the detent-lever H is reversed, so as to cause its polygonal notch h to catch in the lower or polygonal groove 7c of the sliding arbor D, the arbor is prevented from turning, and thus the clockmovement is stopped.

It is obvious that, instead of making the notch h and the groove 70 of polygonal form, they may be made in various other ways to engage with each other.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a stand for Christmas-trees, 850., consisting of an arbor, A, having a socket, B, at one end, a clock mechanism, and a musical instrument, both of which are geared with the said arbor, a device for gearing and ungearing the musical instrument with the clock mechanism, and

an inclosing-case, through which the arbor projects for supporting the socket B, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of an arbor, having a socket at one end for the reception of a Christmas-tree or other article, with a musical instrument, a clock-movement which is geared with both said arbor and the musical instrument, a sliding arbor and cog-wheel forming part of said clock-movement, and serving to gear the same with the musical instrument,

and an inclosing-case, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of an. arbor, having a socket at one end for the reception of a Christmas-tree or other article, with a musical instrument, a clock-movement which is geared with both said arbor and the musical instrument, a sliding arbor and cog-wheel forming part of said clock-movement, and serving to gear the same with the musical instrument, a detent-lever adapted to engage with said sliding arbor, and an inclosing-case, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of March, 187 7.

J. O. EOKARDT.

Witnesses: I 0

AUGUST SMITH, J OHANN MILLER. 

